Transfer ring for circular knitting machines



May 26, 1931. Q E 1,807,431

I TRANSFER RING FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Original Filed May 8, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l Tic l.

INVENTOR ALBERT E. PAGE his ai'zarneys May 26, 1931. EJ 1,807,431

TRANSFER RING FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Original Filed May 8, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 r2 INVENTOR ALBERT E PAGE 51712.5 q-ZZ-or-neys May 26,1931. PA E 1,807,431

TRANSFER RING FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Original Filed May 8, 1929 I s Sheets-Sheet :5

l/I I v 4 INVENTIORI I019 ALBERT E. PAGE Patented May 26, 1931 U NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALBERT E. 'PAGE, OF BROOKLYN", NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO SCOTT & WILLIAMS, INCOR- .PORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS TRANSFER Rind noRv cIRcULAR kmr'rme ivracnmns Original application filed May 8, 1929, Serial No. 361,418. Divided and this application filed March 5,

1930. Serial No. 433,378.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 361,418 filed May 8, 1929 in which mechanism for controlling the movements of a transfer ring from inoperative to operative position is claimed.

This invention. relates to mechanism for transferring a circular knitted web to the needles of a knitting machine, and more particularly to the type of transfer mechanism in which the loops of the fabric are transferred fromthe quills of a transfer ring on to the needles of a knitting machine, as for example, in putting the ribbed top of a half hose on to a plain knitting machine preparatory to theknitting of the leg and foot of the half hose.

It is an object of this invention to provide a transfer ring which is revoluble when it 1s desired to impale the stitches of a rib top upon the ring, but which may be fixed 1n a given position so that when the r1ng 1s 1nverted over the needle cylinder the qullls of the transfer rin will register with the needles of the need e cylinder.

Another object is to provide a transfer ring which'is composed of as few parts as possible and which is more economically practicable than prior transfer rings.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear as the invention is described in connection with the accompanying'drawings. 0

I In the drawings Fig. 1 is a perspectlve V ew of the new transfer mechanism partially inverted over the needle cylinder of the well known Scott and Williams type of seamless hosiery machine.

' Fig. 2 is an elevation of the transfer ring in inverted position.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the transfer ring taken on the line -33 of Fig. 4c. Fig. iis a plan view of the top of the transfer ring when inverted showing the means of centering same. 0

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view through the transfer ring taken on line 55 of Fig. 3.

"Fig. 6 is an elevation of the transfer ring in retracted position partly in section taken onthe line 6-6 of Fig. 7 r

Fig; 7 ahoriaontalsectionthrou h the transfer ring taken on line 7-7 of i .76.

WhileFig. Sis a vertical elevation 0 the transfer ring partly in section taken on the 7 line 8 8 of Fig. 5.

'The inventionis shown embodied in the usual Scott & Williains type of seamless hosieryknittingmachine having a revoluble nee: dle cylinder 260 carried in a bed plate B with an outside sinker cam cap 300 and arm 550 of the latch ring for carrying the yarn fin ers (not shown).

The transfer mechanism comprises atra'nsfer ring carried by an arm 16 pivoted to swing about a pintle 15 supported on-bracket 14 which in turnis supported upon the bed plate B of the machine. As shown in the drawings the carrier arm 16 is of such a shape that when retracted the transfer ring rests with its axis" vertical with the quills 9 pointed upwardly (see Fig. 6) and with the transfer ring held revolubly in a manner which will be described in the subsequent paragraph.

part 168, with set screws (not visible) join ing the two parts adapted to provide vertical adjustment of the transfer ring relatively to the needle cylinder. The upper part 168 has four legs thereon to which the transfer ring is attached in the following manner. There is a circular mounting plate or pilot 169. secured by screws 184: to the various legs of the upper transfer ring arm 168, the exact central position of this pilot being adjustable by means of four chucking screws 181 passing radially through the central collar 169a of the pilot. This'construction is shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Formed integrally with the pilot is a pilot sleeve 170 in the form of a complete cylinder and extending perpendicterminal stitches and push them onto the that s needles of the knitting machine. The transfer ring proper in the construction shown in the drawings is composed of a transfer ring base 171 slidably mounted outside the stripper ring 175, an inside transfer ring 174 on top of the base 171 and an outside transfer ring 173 threaded onto the upper end of the base and holding the inside transfer ring and quills assembled in position. The upper ends of the strippers overlie the top of the inside transfer ring 174 in order that they may be intercalated between the quills 9. To limitthe sliding movement of the base 171 along the pilot sleeve 170 away from the pilot 169, an external annular shoulder 171a is formed on and at the end of the base 171 adjacent the pilot. Cooperating with this shoulder are two adjustable U-bent transfer ring stops 172 each havingits cent-er portion parallel to the transfer ring axis and having inwardly directed radial end portions one of which overlies the outer face of the pilot while the other is ada ted to engage the annular shoulder 171a. he stops are secured to the periphery of the pilot by radial screws 172?) passing through slots in the central portions of the stops.

lVhen the transfer ring is inverted over the needle cylinder and the base 171 is pushed down toward the needles, the stops 172 catching under the shoulder 171a support the transfer ring proper from the pilot 169 and accurately define the degree of interengagement of the needles with the quills. In order to vary this interengagement, adjusting screws 172a, which run parallel to the axis ofthe transfer ring, are threaded through those radially directed ends of the stops which overlie the outer face ofthe pilot 169. Thus the ends of the adjusting screws will bear against the outer face of the pilot. By rotating the screws the position of the stops relative to the pilot may be varied and the range of movement of the base upon the pilot sleeve may be regulated.

The stops may be locked in the position in which they are adjusted by means of the radially extending screws 1726.

.In order that the stripper ring and strippers may have their movement relatively to the transfer ring limited to the proper extent, a small slot (see Fig. 3) is cut through the transfer ring base parallel to the axis thereof; and a radially directed screw 177 takin into the stripper ring is located in ot. The ends of the slot serve to determine the-limits of movement of the strippers relatively to the transfer ring.

For the purpose of actuating the transfer ring and the strippers an axle handle shaft 24 is provided which passes through the sleeve 169a of the pilot. An operating handie 25 is provided on the end of this handle shaft and a light compression-spring 26 is preferably located between this handle 25 and the sleeve 169a. On the inner end of this operating handle 24 two stripper operating fingers 178 are adjustably fastened by means of two screws 179 parallel to the axis of the ring and passing through slots 17 9a in the fingers, these fingers being laid side by side on the end of the handle 24 and projecting in opposite directions transversely of the axis of the handle through openings 180 in the pilot sleeve 170. The ends ofthese operating fingers project into a circumferential groove in the inner surface of the stripper ring and the strippers therefore move in unison with the handle 24. The openings 180 in the vertical pilot sleeve are lon enough to permit advancement of the strip pers to the necessary limit as defined by the sto. screw 177 even when the transfer ring is 'arthest away from the pilot 169 with the quills q in engagement with the needles n of the needle cylinder.

The transfer ring base 171 when resting on the top surface of the pilot 169 (see Figs. 3, 6, 8) is prevented from rotating relatively to the pilot by means of keys and complemental key-ways. In the drawings there are two keys 182 on the pilot projecting upwardly into keyways 183 on the lower edge of the transfer ring base 171. These keys fit into the keyways 183 without any lost motion and in this way the transfer ring is kept accurately in register with the needles. If it is desired to rotate the ring while the same is in retracted position in order to assist the operation of. topping, i. e. putting the stitches of the ribbed top on the quills of the transfer ring, the transfer ring can be lifted away from the pilot as far as permitted by the ring stops 17 2. In this position the transfer ring base is above the tops of the keyways 183 and it is therefore possible to rotate the transfer ring. When two keyways are employed as shown in the drawings, it is preferable to make the keys dissimilar or to locate them in positions which arenot diametrically opposed, in order that the transfer ring may not drop down into register with the keys when half a revolution has been completed. In the drawings these keys and their complemental keyways are dissimilar and are located in p0 positions which are not diametrically opposed, It will be obvious that the complemental keyways will not both be in register with the keys at the same time when the transfer ring has been turned about one-half of a revolution, but of course when the ring has been turned 360 the keys and keyways will match up simultaneously and the transfer ring will drop down onto the pilot in proper registry again. By having two keys and keyways the transfer ring does not jam and is support ed better than if only one were used.

In operation, when the transfer ring is 1nverted over the needle cylinder the transfer ring plunger spring 26 prevents the strippers 176 from being inadvertently moved relatively to the quills 9 but the weight of the transfer ring base causes the ring to drop down to the position wherein it is supported by the stops 172 as shown in Fig. 2, keeping the strippers 176 in contact with the outer surface of the inside transfer ring 17 4. The quills are now in engagement with the needles n and the operator by pressing downwardly on handle 25 can advance the strippers and transfer the terminal loops of the ribbed top to needles of the knitting machine. Upon relieving the pressure from the handle 25 the spring 26 will cause the strippers to be retracted.

Certain subject matter shown and/or de scribed, but not claimed herein, is claimed in the copending applications of Louis N. D. lvilliams, Serial No. 355,7 65 filed April 17, 1929 and Serial No. 381,791, filed July 29, 1929.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a revoluble transfer ring composed of comparatively few parts and which is simple and positive in operation.

What I claim is:

1. A circular knitting machine having a revoluble needle cylinder, stitch transfer mechanism mounted on said machine and adapted to be swung into and out of operative relation with said needle cylinder, said transfer mechanism comprising a non-revoluble pilot, a plurality of keys on said pilot, a revoluble transfer ring on said pilot having keyways complemental to said keys, in combination with means permitting movement of said transfer ring away from said pilot sufficiently to free the keyways from said keys and permit rotation of the transfer ring.

2. A circular knitting machine having a revoluble needle cylinder, stitch transfer mechanism mounted on said machine and adapted to he swung into and out of operative relation with said needle cylinder, said transfer mechanism comprising a non-revoluble pilot, a revoluble transfer ring permanent: 1y attached to said pilot but having limited movement on said pilot, in combination with a sleeve on said pilot constituting a complete ring adjacent the outer end of said transfer ring.

3. A circular knitting machine having a revoluble needle cylinder, stitch transfer mechanism mounted on said machine and adapted to be swung into and out of operative relation with said needle cylinder, said transfer mechanism comprising a non-revoluble pilot, having a sleeve formedintegrally therewith, in combination with a stripper ring revolubly mounted around said sleeve, a transferring base outside said stripper ring and having a limited movement on said pilot sleeve, and inside and outside transfer rings on said transfer ring base.

4. Transfer mechanism for a circular knitting machine comprising a carrier arm, a pilot on said arm, a sleeve integral with said pilot, said sleeve forming a complete ring at its outer edge, there being openings in the walls of said sleeve below the outer edge, a stripper ring outside said sleeve and a transfer ring outside said stripper ring, invcombination with a plunger passing axially through saidpilot and operating means fastened to said plunger passing through the openings in the sleeve and engaging in a circumferential groove in said stripper ring, said stripper ring and said transfer ring being revoluble on said pilot.

5. Transfer mechanism for a circular knitting machine comprising a carrier arm, a pilot mounted in a nonrevoluhle manner on said arm, chucking screws to center said pilot on said arm and a transfer ring permanently attached to said pilot but having limited movement on said pilot in combination with a plurality of complemental keys and keyways on said pilot and transfer ring, said complemental keys and keyways being dissimilar in plan, the limited movement of said transfer ring away from said pilot being suflicient to disengage the keys and keyways for rotation of the ring.

6. Stitch transfer mechanism for a circular knitting machine comprising a pilot, a transfer ring permanently attached to said pilot, stops permitting; said transfer ring limited movement away from said pilot, a sleeve integral with said pilot and forming a complete ring at its upper edge, a stripper ring revolubly carried around said sleeve and means limiting the movement of said stripper ring, in combination with an axial plunger passing through said pilot and means on said plunger passing through openings in said sleeve and engaging in a continuous circumferential groove in said stripper ring to permit rotation of said stripper ring relative to said means.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ALBERT E. PAGE. 

